


Falling

by static_abyss



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Gen, Implied Relationships, Personal Growth, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-28
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-28 13:31:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5092580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/static_abyss/pseuds/static_abyss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Éponine Thénardier falls in love with Marius Pontmercy on a Tuesday in late October. </p><p>On a Wednesday morning, just as the sun is reaching its highest peak, Marius Pontmercy falls in love with Cosette Fauchelevent. </p><p>By Friday, everything makes sense.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [merelydovely](https://archiveofourown.org/users/merelydovely/gifts).



> It was cloudy today and I couldn't resist merelydovely's prompt about Éponine. I hope you like it.

  


Éponine Thénardier falls in love with Marius Pontmercy on a Tuesday in late October, when the sky is covered in dark gray clouds, and the leaves on some trees are just starting to turn orange. 

It starts with lingering glances, and jumping hearts, electric shocks up her arms when Marius brushes by her. He grins at her from underneath his gray wool hat, and Éponine wants him to take her hand. He calls her name and the ringing in his voice makes it sound like something divine. 

 

  


On a Wednesday morning, just as the sun is reaching its highest peak, Marius Pontmercy falls in love with Cosette Fauchelevent. 

Éponine watches it happen. Marius is waving at her, his smile large and happy. She doesn't see the beautiful girl, with golden brown hair and a wicked smile, step into Marius's path. Éponine just sees the way Marius turns, his attention suddenly gone and focused on Cosette. 

He blinks, and Éponine can see the way his ears turn pink, how his whole face lights up. She can almost feel the way his heart seems to stop before it thunders out an out-of-beat rhythm.

"I'm sorry," she could mouth with him.

Cosette blushes prettily, dipping her head as though she's embarrassed for getting in the way. But Éponine recognizes the look on Cosette's face, how she disguises the intentional with her tinkling laugh. Cosette Fauchelevent wants Marius Pontmercy, and she is not afraid to make the first move. 

Éponine stands next to an evergreen tree, her eyes fixed on Cosette and Marius. The wind is cold and she huddles deeper into her old blue windbreaker. She finds it easy to imagine herself in Marius's place, how he loses himself in Cosette's blue eyes, how his entire body seems to sway forward. She can almost feel how Marius's world re-centers, every fiber of his being orbiting Cosette and her dark blue peacoat and pink scarf. 

Cosette touches Marius's arm, and Éponine feels it like a brand even through the layers of her clothes. 

Marius laughs, and Éponine's world feel as though it's spinning out of control. There's an ache in her chest, and the air in her lungs seems heavy. But this is something she knows. She welcomes grief, even this new brand known as heartbreak, just the way she's welcomed it all her life. 

On that Wednesday morning, just before noon, Éponine walks away from Marius for the first time.

 

  


Éponine sits in floor of her room, four days before Halloween, and two days after she walked away from Marius. He hasn't called her in two days, because Éponine asked her roommate, Grantaire, to keep Marius away. 

She's taken the time away to go to her classes, grateful that she shares none with Marius. Her free time she spends ignoring the looks Grantaire gives her. She understands that the heaviness in her chest is manageable, that she could pluck it from her heart and move on. But she does not want to.

She sits on her bedroom floor instead, her door open so that Grantaire will leave her alone. Her desk chair stands to her left, black leather, a gift from Marius. In front of her is a rainbow colored birthday bag, from a month ago, Marius's handwriting sitting along the yellow part of the bag. She traces the curves of her name, the loop on the line of the "p." 

She sits, letting the tightness in her chest consume her. She waits, her eyes closed, but she can't seem to remember the exact shape of Marius's nose. She tries harder, pulls forth memories until the ache returns. But the longer she sits, the harder it is to hang on to Marius.

She finds that she doesn't miss him as much as she should.

 

  


The next night, Éponine agrees to go with Grantaire to Courfeyrac's Halloween party. She dresses in Grantaire's paint-stained jeans and one of his sweatshirts. She gathers her hair into a bun and tucks it underneath a blue hat.

"I'm you," she says, grinning.

Grantaire is covered in white paint, strips of red running down his chin. The fangs, he bought at the corner store. The cape is Jehan's. 

"If Enjolras goes as a werewolf, I'm stabbing you," Éponine says, "I'm not in the mood for mortal enemy metaphors."

Grantaire ignores her and tilts her hat to the left. "I thought you wouldn't want to go," he says.

Éponine shrugs. "It's not like I'm going to stay in my room and mope forever."

"Yeah," Grantaire says. "But I didn't think you'd want to see Courfeyrac and Marius so soon. I heard they're wearing a couple's costume."

Éponine stares. "But Cosette," she says.

Grantaire laughs. "She caught them in the library, behind the history section."

"Oh," Éponine says, her breath catching. 

 

  


They go to the party, Éponine quiet as they walk along the long streets, past quiet houses and yellow streetlights. Courfeyrac's house is at the end of the second block, past Main street. He shares it with Enjolras, Marius, Combeferre, and Jehan. It's obvious from the way flowers line the edges of the front yard, the carved pumpkins leading up to the front door, everything vibrant and creative, but neat. 

Éponine walks up to the porch, the sleeves of Grantaire's sweatshirt covering her hands. She knocks and shivers next to Grantaire, both of them hoping Enjolras isn't the one who opens the door. Éponine, because she hates the awkward flirting that happens between Grantaire and Enjolras whenever they're even remotely close to each other. Grantaire, because he can never think of the right thing to say.

It's Cosette who opens the door, her beautiful hair cascading in ringlets over her shoulders. She's wearing a white princess dress with lace at the bodice. She smiles brightly when she sees Éponine, and twirls.

"Look," she says, sticking her hands into the folds of her dress. "It has pockets."

Éponine swallows hard and lets Cosette's pretty face charm her. 

"A princess," Éponine says, smiling at Cosette.

She feels a shudder of delight when Cosette winks. 

"A bride," Cosette says. 

She stares at Éponine's costume, her blue eyes lingering on Éponine's face. "You're a painter," Cosette says.

Grantaire coughs beside Éponine, but neither she nor Cosette pay him any attention.

"A painter," Éponine agrees, letting the heat in the center of her chest fill her.

The way Cosette smiles at her settles Éponine. She inhales and the air fills her, nothing close to the ache she felt when Marius was near. Cosette moves to let them pass, and when Éponine's hand brushes the back of Cosette, a pleasant shock moves up Éponine's back. She sways forward, and Cosette catches her eyes, a secret smile on her face.

Grantaire moves in closer to Éponine, his mouth by her ear. "I'm leaving you in good hands," he whispers.

 _Yes,_ Éponine thinks, her eyes fixed on Cosette.

She barely notices when Grantaire walks away.

**Author's Note:**

> Fills the "happy ending" space on my trope bingo card.


End file.
